What Would You Do

Mike Johnson

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 20, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Up.
• ASIN: B00006BTDY
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #265,351 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Smoky and expansive, subtle and reflective, What Would You Do is the luxuriantly depressing, big-sounding album Mike Johnson has been trying to make for a decade. This is sophisticated, slow-mo, and moody psychedelic folk-rock that takes great pains to sound effortless. Johnson rarely bothers to exert his deep, rich voice above a whisper, but that's all he need do. His seemingly whiskey-saturated voice rests between Mark Eitzel's croon and Nick Cave's moan, while going down more smoothly than either of them. This beautifully produced and arranged album is innovative in its own anachronistic way. "No Words" is a folk-dub instrumental that somehow works, while "Come Back Again" and "Names" force the listener to imagine a collaboration between sleepy troubadour Fred Neil and acid-rock pioneer Roky Erickson at the height of their powers. A lot of records get called "timeless," but few are; it's a safe bet that What Would You Do actually is. Hooray. --Mike McGonigal

Product Description
Some of you might remember all the way back to 1985 and Mike's days with Snakepit, a kick ass country punk band out of Eugene, OR. which gave birth to a wealth of great music and bands for members such as Billy Karin (Bikini Kill) Al Larsen (Some Velvet Sidewalk) Joe Preston (Earth, as well as the Melvins) and the late Robert Christie (Oswald 5-0) who died tragically January '01 in a car accident.

In the rock vein, Mike is well known as the bass player for Dinosaur Jr. whom he played with from 1991 through 1997. Mike has also been a long time collaborator with Mark Lanegan, and plays on all of Mark's solo albums beginning with "The Winding Sheet" which was released in 1990. He played guitar with the Queens of the Stone Age for a while, the highlight of which was a live show at The OK Hotel. At the same time, he has been a member of Caustic Resin for several years now, when it fits into both Mike's and Brett's schedule. Mike plays bass on the latest Caustic Resin release, entitled Keep on Truckin.

As if this all wasn't enough, Mike has also put out four solo albums to date, all to critical acclaim. He is on tour now in support of his most recent solo effort, titled What Would You Do.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best album of the year!, June 27, 2003

By	richie richardson (Intercourse, PA) - See all my reviews

I can't believe this album!
it is so good, as close to perfect as you could possibly hope for, it is intense and soothing at the same time, there are so many influences that are woven together seemlessly, lush and muddy, dense and airy...
I can't get it out of my cd player, well, I could, but I haven't wanted to listen to anything else since I got it two months ago.
Why don't you hear it on the radio?
I guess most dj's are deaf, or in some cave somewhere...
all I can say is thanks, Mike, I think you might have saved my life.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars outstanding, July 3, 2003

By	jimmy chims (Renton, WA) - See all my reviews

I am a HUGE fan of Mark Lanegan, and was told by a couple of my friends that I should check out Mike Johnson as well since he plays on all of Mark's records and even co-wrote some of the songs.
So, I bought "I feel alright" and was not disappointed, that is truly a great record. But "What Would You Do" is mind melting!
This is what I am always hoping that an album will be, but rarely is, a perfect, if somewhat somber, record.
There is even a cover of a Yabby Yu song on here that is, at least to this listener, superior to the original, and Yabby Yu is one of my all time favorite musicians.
The track "Things" is also a standout, although I would have to say that after listening to the album several times, "Names" is the best. The structure of this song is so perfect, the repeated theme along with the development really capture a moment in time that allows for endless, personal interpretation.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Moody,broody music that slinks into your mind., February 1, 2006

By	Jim Reed "Jim Reed" (New York) - See all my reviews

If Mike Johnson ever went to American Idol he would be booted off the stage.Instead of belting out songs he soothingly murmurs them I have a feeling if he could've whispered them for the whole cd he would have.What makes it work then is the band's somber music and Mike's voice dissolving off into the distance.Don't expect to find any catchy tunes here but the music casts a spell that's difficult to explain,I didn't like it at first but it subliminally creeps up on you after repeat listens.It's the musical equivalent of a warm breeze on a dark starless night.